JOIN USChain of snatchers broken
On Tuesday, a gang's unique technique of chain snatching came to light after one of the gang member was caught in the act by alert members of the public on Cunningham Road.
Angry BMTC commuters and passersby rained blows on S Ahmed (28) the youth before handing him over to High Grounds police station.
Godavari Bai, a regular traveller on BMTC buses boarded a BMTC bus at Matadahalli, R T Nagar and was on her way to City Civil court.
On reaching Cunningham Road, she realised that she had lost her chain worth Rs 1.20 lakh. Godavari screamed for help. Within seconds, three youth in the bus showed great hurry to alight from the moving bus.
Modus operandi
A few commuters who noticed their body language tried to catch them. However, the two managed to escape, but Ahmed was caught.
Under interrogation, Ahmed confessed that he was part of a five-member gang and gave the details of their modus operandi.
The gang would set out in an autorickshaw, four of them would zero in on women wearing thick gold chains and get into the bus while the autorickshaw would follow the bus. After identifying their prey, they would surround the woman and lay their hands on the chain. In a flash, the chain would change hands and in no time, the gang would split up, hop into the autorickshaw and disappear.
On Tuesday, there was a change in their script and that proved costly. After snatching Godavari’s chain, one of them acted as if he was about to vomit.
On the pretext of helping him, his accomplices moved him towards the window seat, while another who was in possession of the chain dropped it outside which was picked up by yet another gang member who was travelling in the autorickshaw. As Godavari began screaming, Ahmed developed cold feet and tried to sneak out of the bus. An alert public got wind of the situation, chased and caught him.
Ahmed said the gang rotated its members and also outsourced members from other states, and even employed some youths on weekly wages.
Student suffers snake bite
A third year dental sciences student of NSVK SV Dental College on Bannerghatta Road was bitten by a Russell viper and rushed to Apollo Hospital on Monday.
Jenisa (21) was entering the college, when the reptile bit her on the right toe. She was immediately taken to the hospital where she was administered first aid.
However, the Apollo hospital authorities said that Jenisa was shifted to another hospital after an hour.
According to a faculty member at the college, snakes have been seen in the hospital departments and hostel but this is the first time that a student suffered a snake bite.